Highland Park in Amarillo among record number snared by 'Robin Hood'

That system is designed to help spread state funding to all districts by having property-weathly districts give back state money, which then is sent to property-poor districts, said Debbie Ratcliffe, spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency.

The Highland Park Independent School District is $500,000 in the red this year, in part because it is one of a record number of districts required to pay back state money under Texas’ “Robin Hood” funding system.

That system is designed to help spread state funding to all districts by having property-weathly districts give back state money, which then is sent to property-poor districts, said Debbie Ratcliffe, spokeswoman for the Texas Education Agency. Highland Park is one of 374 property-wealthy, or Chapter 41, school districts in Texas, Ratcliffe said.That number is up by 23 this year because of residential development and expansions in the gas and oil industries, she said.

A district is considered property wealthy if it receives $319,500 per pupil or more in tax values, Ratcliffe said.The recapture, or Robin Hood, law has existed since 2006 and is designed to help spread state funding to all districts by having property-weathly districts give back state money, which then is sent to property-poor districts, she said.

Highland Park has been a property-weathly district for several years but had to pay back more state money this year because its local tax values increased.

Highland Park Superintendent Mike Brown said the deficit in the district’s $11.3-million budget came from the loss of about $200,000 in jobs money the federal government gave schools last year, and the district has to pay back about $300,000 to the state.

“We did receive less revenue from the state, as we had anticipated,” Brown said. “We knew the (federal) Edujobs funds would probably be removed, but we did not fully anticipate as large an increase in our values for this year.”

That is a common story throughout Texas, said Christy Rome, executive director of the Texas School Coalition, an advocacy group for public schools that is part of a school-funding lawsuit against the state.

“It leaves a bitter taste in your mouth when you’re a Chapter 41 district and you’re looking at state cuts and then you’re also having to send back a larger amount in recapture back to the state,” Rome said.

Bushland ISD also is a property-weathly district, but it did not have to pay back state money because the district’s enrollment increased, Superintendent Don Wood said. He said the district sent about $230,000 back to the state last year.

Brown said Highland Park’s tax values increased in its business sector rather than residential, so the district did not have increases in enrollment to help offset the increased recapture payments. The district’s enrollment last year was 922, according to the Texas Education Agency.

The district had planned for less state funding this year by cutting almost $800,000 from its budget last year, Brown said.

“We knew in all likelihood going into this budget year that we would have a deficit budget this year, and we have prepared for that scenario over the past two years with the cuts we have made in our spending,” he said.

Last year, the district asked each department to cut 30 percent in areas such as supplies and travel for both students and staff. It also froze salaries and eliminated 12 positions through retirements or resignations.

The district’s board of trustees approved a 2.5 percent pay increase in August for all staff, including Brown, he said.

“I am pleased that we were able to provide some increase to staff, as we had to freeze salaries last year due to the funding crisis,” Brown said. “However, this minimal raise barely keeps up with the rising cost of health insurance. We wish we could do more for our staff, but in the current economy and current state of funding for our schools, we did all that we could to help out the staff with rising costs of living.”

The district’s tax rate also dropped slightly this year, Brown said. This year’s rate is $1.16744 per $100 of assessed property value, compared to $1.17 per $100 last year, he said. The rate dropped because property values increased, he said.

Rome said the Legislature and economy likely will determine how many districts have to pay back state money in future years.

“If there are any big economic upheavals, that’s when the list changes dramatically,” she said.

The school funding lawsuit against the state is set to go to trial Oct. 22 in Austin, Rome said.

Brown said he welcomes any positive changes to the system.

“Our hope is that the Legislature will find a more equitable and adequate way to fund public education, keeping the students and their learning as the No. 1 priority,” he said. “However, if we are unable to resolve the funding crisis, then we have prepared ourselves for the long term.”